By Chuck Woodbury
ROADSIDE JOURNAL
My name is Charles but I go by Chuck. I took the name Chuck when I was a teenager. I thought it was better than Charles, which sounded too formal. For the last few decades I have questioned my decision. For example, I can’t think of any famous literary figures named Chuck. I wonder if we would be watching the movie “A Christmas Carol” every holiday season if the novel were written by Chuck Dickens and not Charles Dickens.
I don’t think Prince Charles goes by Chuck. Prince Chuck does not sound right. Not respectable either.
The name Chuck is the most common name found on bowling alley score cards.
I have a newspaper cartoon that shows a sign at a butcher shop: “Chuck Steak: $1.49 a pound. Charles Steak, $5.49 a pound.”
My name is vaulted to its highest level of esteem when used in the term “Up Chuck.”
Still, I could have a name I liked less. Here are a few I found in a book called “Remarkable Names of Real People.” And no kidding, these are absolutely real.
Dr. Zoltan Ovary (a noted gynecologist)
A. Moron (Commissioner of Education, Virgin Islands)
Sir Basil Smallpiece
Mrs. Belcher Wack Wack (she married Mr. Wack and then his brother)
Cardinal Sin (Archbishop of Manila)
Reverend Christian Church
Baroness Gaby von Bagge of Boo
Gaston J Feeblebunny
I.C. Shivers (iceman)
Ima and Ura Hogg
Katz Meow
Preserved Fish, Jr.
In my own family, one name always gets a chuckle: my great aunt Fanny Butts.
So, all in all, Chuck probably isn’t so bad. . .
Chuck?? I forgot did you buy a Winnebago? What size
The name “Chuck” is highlighted in the movie “Scent of a Woman” at a family Thanksgiving dinner. Great scene worth watching.
I’m Carl Donald, but since my Dad is also Carl, as a boy I was called Donnie. Somewhere in school a teacher called the roll and when she said Carl I raised my hand and since then I have been Carl. I have often regretted that change, since I think Don is more approachable and Carl sounds stiff and Germanic. But recently I’ve been glad I’m not still using my middle name……
I agree with you, Chuck. Charles is too formal. I also never cared for Charlie. I have been call Chas, Upchuck (after a coach once telling the team about someone eating corn before a meet and then upchucking during it). When someone says “what’s up, Chuck” to me, I reply “vomit” and usually get a blank stare until I explain it to them.
My last name is Gutzke, pronounced Guts-key. In early grade school I was teased often about “having a lot of guts.” When I got glasses at age 8 it was “4 eyes”, My reply was that I could see better with four eyes than they could with only two. My first name is Thomas. When my mother got mad at me for something [not very often, at least] she would call me by saying “Tom-ass!” Keep on smiling; people will wonder what you’ve been up to. 🙂
Once called my friends house and the geust answered,I asked if Bill Walls was there,response no,how about Betty Walls,again answer was no,then I asked,are any of the Walls there? reply was no,so I said if there are no Walls,whats keeping your house up!! boo ha ha
Hope you did not fall off your chair Chuck,lol
having been a meat-cutter for a significant part of my life, I found that a Chuck roast with potatoes and carrots and onions is as good as it gets!!! Sure miss my mother’s cooking.
I worked at a grocery store in the 60’s and the boy I worked with was also Chuck. We made sure to stick “ground chuck” stickers from the meat dept. on him. Great fun.
Don’t forget about the good bottle of wine; “two buck Chuck”. Although , actually more in today’s pricing, so the value of Chuck is going up!
When my mother was a young girl living in a rural Florida town, she played with two sisters named Ura and Ima Hogg. They went to school together and my mother said they were teased unmercifully for their names. I wonder if the names you found were the same girls.
Chip Monk.